President Putin will visit Budapest on February 2

Putin’s visit was part of a fixture of annual meetings in which both leaders reviewed topical business and political issues

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 2 in Budapest, János Lázár, the minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office, has confirmed.

Lázár said Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, would leave for Moscow next week to make preparations for the presidential visit. Lázár said Putin’s visit was part of a fixture of annual meetings in which both leaders reviewed topical business and political issues. “This will be an important meeting but nothing out of the ordinary," he added.

Lázár also stated that 2017 would be an important year for Hungarian diplomacy, not only because of the inauguration of a new American president and Brexit, but because the government has decided to shift focus from pursuing multilateral ties to fostering bilateral relations.

Lázár also said it was in Hungary’s interest to seek “fair and correct” agreements both with the United States and the United Kingdom. He added that Brexit should be completed on a basis of mutual benefits “so that it is good for both Europe and Britain”. He added that the Hungarian government must protect the interests of Hungarians working in the UK.